Norquist pledge puts House members in bind

It seems to me that all the Republicans and all the Democrats who have been re-elected to the House will be required to take an oath of office.

The Republicans who have taken the Grover Norquist pledge of no new taxes will have a conflict. The oath of office allows for no reservation in "defending our countries from all enemies, domestic and foreign." If a House member thinks the pledge is not a pre-existing condition that limits their ability to do so, then they are truly fools. The reality is if they violate the Norquist pledge then they will be thrown out in the next round of elections. If they don't learn from this, it's like Darwin's selection of the species, but in a good way.

His pledge is clearly an outside force much like Sen. Joe McCarthy's 1950s search for Communists in the State Department. Grow up, Republicans, and do the two things necessary: Cut spending and raise taxes.

Edward Hassett

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